The general strike at Occupy Oakland on November 2nd was a long and eventful day. I am going to write a summary of the days events and then briefly write some random thoughts and analysis.
I urge you not to live vicariously through this post or other media coverage about the event. Go visit and start a dialogue at your local Occupy Movement or put flyers/news articles up all over your neighborhood on a weekly basis.
Summary:
- Total turnout throughout the entire day had to be at least 100,000 people.
- The early morning marches to Well Fargo, Citigroup, Chase, and Bank of America had about 3,000 people and involved people sitting in front of the bank doors for about fifteen minutes and writing "Withdraw Only" on the ATMs before moving to the next bank. Pictures from this march.
- The anti-capitalist march at 2pm saw a black bloc smashing the windows at these banks and Whole Foods (CEO busts unions and fights for corporate healthcare while the local owner threatens workers regularly) while spray painting on them. About 30 people screaming "Non-Violent Protest" were actively attacking the black bloc. The general consensus is the crowd felt vandalism is violent. Video One. Video Two.
- If someone throws a battery to break a window, you shouldn't pick it up after and put it in your pocket. The battery is probably broken and will leak battery acid all over your thigh.
- Even though chaotic and unorganized, the march to shut down the port of Oakland (fourth biggest port in U.S.) from 5-8pm was successful. 20,000 people marched to the closest berths to blockade them while a critical mass bike ride of 1,000 people rode to the farthest berths. Helicopter footage.
- On the march back from the port a driver keeps edging forward slowly, someone pounds on his hood, and the driver floors his car ramming several protesters. Footage.
- My hands absolutely reeked of tuna after spending two hours making tuna fish sandwiches for hundreds of people. Some homeless guy said he's been eating better in the past two weeks than he has in years thanks to Occupy Oakland.
- At around 10pm a building is taken over and occupied. A crowd of seven hundred masses outside while music plays, the walls are painted, and barricades are constructed. News that five hundred riot cops are assembling.
- Cops slowly work towards the building from three different streets, threatening use of "non-lethal" force (Scott Olsen argues otherwise) if crowd does not disperse. Barricade is set on fire to protect against tear gas and cops fire flash bangs and rubber bullets. Roughly ten protesters respond with rocks and bottles. Cops launch tons more flash bangs and unleash tear gas. Video One.
- I learn from tear gas what it's like to suffocate to death and vinegar on a mask doesn't do shit. My eyes felt like someone was holding a match up to them. Never before have I ever been so happy to have someone squirt creamy white liquid into my eyes. As of now I'm still trying to figure out what I did to warrant being attacked like this by the police. I will make light of the situation by jokingly admitting tear gas is a wonderful way to clear out my sinuses.
- Tear gas spreads to the camp, people and kids are waking up in their tents and choking. People with gas masks are collecting rubber bullets to make necklaces exclaiming that there's business opportunities from police brutality.
- I take off running as cops come pouring out a nearby alley blockading seventy protesters and shooting flash bangs at them while beating others with batons. Cops shine flashlights on media cameras to blind them. Police injure another vetern during this time by rupturing his spleen.
- Entire downtown area is covered with spray paint by this point. Undercover police officer who has been trying for hours to incite the crowd to riot breaks a window at the Men's Warehouse. Someone else breaks a window at a large local coffee chain.
- I watch the police line for a bit then head to the camp. There's a lot of fear that the camp is going to get raided tonight. I sleep on a park bench waiting so I can help defend the camp if that happens. Most of the people edging for police confrontation are gone at this point.
- Police are mostly gone by 4am and camp is safe for one more day. Some guy approaches me and is acting crazy. He is on crack, has nunchucks, and threatens to kick my ass because I'm wearing all black. Another crack head rolls over and goes back and fourth saying I'm only not getting my ass kicked because cops are nearby and that he's only full of love. Some other girl who isn't on crack says my outfit is really popular and that she's going to help kick my ass because of all the graffiti that I did. One of the crackheads chime in at this point that I'm a member of an Anti-Israel 9/11 Terrorist group and that there's thirty of me in every city. I am pretty scared, but good at dealing with people so I calm the situation and give them all tuna fish sandwiches.
- Head home and find a fourteen year old on the corner having an asthma attack at 4:30am from all the tear gas. His face is white even though he's black, can't breathe, can't talk, and his eyes are drooling. I call an ambulance and a firetruck. I tell him to remain calm and focus on his breathing. Paramedics come and save the day.
- Twitter feed the following day is full of people discussing how vandalism is violence and how anarchist have no place in Occupy Oakland.
Random Thoughts and Analysis:
- Liberal hypocrisy will never cease to astound me. I am just absolutely in awe at why the liberal reactions to the anarchist black bloc are so much greater than their reaction to the continuing violence perpetrated by societies that maintain prisons, executions, wars, condone homelessness, bankruptcy from health care costs, and allow companies that kill workers and pollute the world to continue giving bonuses and dodging taxes. Most liberals agree that corporations are not people, so then why when a corporate window is smashed they immediately scream "VIOLENCE!!!" as if a person has been shot? Lovely brainwashing is lovely. The marching on the port was WAY more destructive than a few broken windows and spray painted walls.
- Most of the people at the end of the day occupying the building, building barricades, and setting shit on fire were being idiots. Entire population's lives are reliant on this movement to succeed and idiots are out having dance party's in front of a building occupation, all of which would run away at the first sign of cops and tear gas. If you take over a building be ready to defend it and do something productive with it, not just turn it into some temporary "anarchist" photo-op. Here's some additional and excellent analysis of this act.
- The twitter calls about how anarchism has no place in Occupy Oakland is completely insane because the entire movement is based on anarchism. The general assembly, affinity groups, occupying space illegally, communal living featuring medics, media, libraries, arts, etc., un-permitted marches, "Who Streets? Our Streets!", banner drops, food not bombs, and many other collective and non-hierarchical forms of action and organization from straight from anarchist theory and practice.
- It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of the moment at a giant protest, but the truth is that there's two worlds. The small minute world of a protest and the giant world about people who don't know about it or just don't give a fuck about it. While the encampment at Occupy Oakland is inspiring and a good way to branch out actions, there's gotta be organization in people's neighborhoods and workplaces. This movement has to grow and talking to people outside of the camp is the only way to do it.
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